Kobe's Achilles Injury: How Serious Is It?

It's disheartening, what's been happening to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The Black Mamba's season came to an abrupt end with a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Golden State Warriors last weekend, serving as the ultimate blow to the Lakers's woeful season. Surgery has since been done on Kobe's heel, but he is not slated to return until late next season. Worse, it's very possible that we may have seen the last of the high-scoring, high-flying, fade-away jumping side of him.

"I made a move that I've made a million times, and it just popped," says the Lakers star. "I certainly have done a lot of work to prepare myself. It's just bad luck." If Chauncey Billups, Elton Brand, and Isaiah Thomas are any indication, this little injury will bring more than just bad luck. Scroll down below and see what it did to the careers of the players (and a certain Greek hero) mentioned above.

Chauncey BillupsPre Achilles: Picked up by the Los Angeles Clippers off amnesty waivers at age 35, former NBA Champion Chauncey Billups was averaging a respectable 14.9ppg and 4.0apg in 20 games before going down with an Achilles tendon injury against the Orlando Magic back in February 2012, effectively ending his season.Post Achilles: Billups signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles and played his first game back as a Clipper in November 2012. Unable to perform at a superstar level and obviously at the twilight of his career, Chauncey was downsized to limited minutes, averaging 8.2ppg and 2.2apg. Recently sidelined with yet another injury, he has yet to log a single minute of action this month.